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Classic and Historic Vehicle Body Restoration Courses

About Us

Contour Academy was founded in 1998 with a mission to establish a centre of excellence for training in traditional sheet metalwork techniques.

Bruce Macleod has a wealth of experience gained from past generations of craftsmen and over 44 years involvement on a wide range of projects including: restoring and building steel and aluminium alloy vehicle bodies, forming stainless steel, copper and brass panels for automotive, marine and architectural applications as well as making sculptural artworks such as the copper petals for the 2012 London Olympic’s cauldron

On each course you are given a significant amount of one-to-one tuition using a wide range of equipment to ensure you get the maximum benefit from your learning experience with us.

Summer School

Five days - £1580

12th to 16th August and 19th to 23rd August

Courses are held at Welford, Northamptonshire

Course overview

This course covers the fundamental principles of cutting, flanging, shaping and welding mild steel and aluminium alloy to form double-curvature panels as well as making patterns, jigs and tooling to replicate original parts.

Forming & Welding Mild Steel

Shape a double-curvature panel using a mallet and block
Smooth a panel using a hammer and dolly and wheel
Use a wheeling machine to create a shaped panel
Flange & wire the edge of a panel
TIG butt-weld mild steel sheet without using a filler rod
MIG weld and resistance spot weld mild steel

Forming & Welding Aluminium Alloy

Form a complex double-curvature panel in aluminium alloy
Refine and smooth a panel using a wheeling machine
TIG butt-weld aluminium alloy sheet without using a filler rod
Anneal aluminium alloy sheet

Making Patterns, Jigs and Tooling

Take an accurate profile from the original bodywork
Make a pattern to accurately reproduce an original panel
Develope a pattern for a double-curvature panel
Construct jigs to aid reproduction of double-curvature panels
Use tooling to replicate original pressed detail
Form a repair section that is a precise fit to the original panel

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Books

Welding

This book covers the various methods of welding used to make and repair sheet metal body panels. The techniques use in the welding of thin sheet metal as used on vehicle bodies are vastly different to those used in welding heavier structures.

I have set out to explain as simply as possible the methods, materials and equipment that I have found to be most useful.

The important thing for anyone wanting to achieve a good finish to body repair work is to start with the correct techniques, skill comes with practicing these techniques in the right manner.

The text of the book concentrates on the welding of mild steel and aluminium alloy with some reference to the welding of brass and stainless steel sheetmetal.

Buy the Book